


Step on a Crack

by hollyhock13



Series: Whumptober 2019 [19]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Batman and Robin (Comics), DCU (Comics), Detective Comics (Comics), Robin: Son of Batman (Comics)
Genre: Damian Wayne Feels, Damian Wayne Has Issues, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Illnesses & Injuries, Prompt: Trembling, Spinal Trauma, Whumptober 2019, but imagine that his muscles are going wack, there’s not actually a whole lot of trembling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-24
Updated: 2019-10-24
Packaged: 2021-01-02 10:09:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 964
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21159923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hollyhock13/pseuds/hollyhock13
Summary: And break your brother’s back?





	Step on a Crack

**Author's Note:**

> Ahhh, once again a HUGE thank you to [ @redrobin1989 ](%E2%80%9C) for her medical expertise. She has assured me that she knows “just enough anatomy to bs comic book science” so we’re rolling with that 😂 Just remember that this IS comic book science and not necessarily accurate for what you should do in a real life situation, okay?
> 
> Thanks also to [ @ursapharoh15 ](%E2%80%9C) for continuing to encourage me and help me keep going!
> 
> Enjoy your Dami Hurt/Comfort!

He’s sparring with Grayson when it happens.

Grayson has left himself open with an attack and Damian twists to take advantage of his mistake. As he does, though, something in his back locks up and his movements come screeching to a halt. His arm goes numb, and drops his practice sword. Grayson’s next blow knocks him to the ground.

“Damian! Damian, are you alright? I thought you would dodge that, what happened?!”

Damian opens his mouth to reassure him, but the sound that comes out can only be described as a whine. 

It does not reassure Grayson in the slightest. “Dami? Did I hurt you?”

Damian grits his teeth against the pain in his back. “I am...fine. Just fine.”

Grayson looks suspicious, but he helps Damian stand. Damian fights to keep his face neutral against the searing pain.

He stumbles a little when he is finally in a standing position. “I believe that I need some rest,” he tells Grayson through gritted teeth. 

“Yeah, no problem li’l D. Sounds like a plan.” Grayson sounds strange, as though his voice is strained, and normally Damian would have a need to investigate. Today, he can hardly focus enough to put one foot in front of the other.

He reaches the stairs after what seems like an eternity, only to realize that he should have gone toward the elevator. His back screams at him not to move, while his brain says that to allay suspicion he must not stop until he is alone and safe. The elevator is what seems like miles away, and Grayson is still watching. If he turns for the elevator now, Grayson will insist on knowing what is wrong.

Damian growls at himself for the indecision. Grayson will take this as weakness and ground him from his duties. He begins the agonizing journey upstairs.

Nearly half an hour later, Damian is resigned to the fact that he will be trapped on these stairs for eternity. He is even willing to admit to himself that perhaps Grayson would have been right to bench him for this. 

Tears sting his eyes and sweat drips down his back from the exertion of keeping himself upright. His breathing is hitching in something much too close to sobs for his liking.

He nearly doesn’t hear the quiet humming and rustling of papers as Drake descends the staircase. Drake glances up at Damian as he passes with a small grimace before doing a double take. 

“Woah, Demon. You don’t look so good.”

“Speak for yourself, Drake,” Damian would like to say, but all he can manage right now is a whine of pain.

That stops Drake in his tracks. “What’s wrong? Are you drugged, poisoned?”

Damian would scoff at the very idea of someone managing to do so without his knowledge if he could even  breathe without pain right now. Besides, Drake is answering his own question as Damian struggles to think.

“No, you’re obviously in pain, an injury? You haven’t reported any the past few nights, so an old one acting up? Or a new one you didn’t disclose, but that’s stupid even for you.”

“Drake,” Damian manages to grind out. “Spine.”

Tim processes for a moment before the lightbulb clicks on. “Your spine? What are you doing halfway up the stairs, then?!” He shuffles around, doing what Damian can only assume is assessing the safest way to get him either up or down the stairs. Heaven knows that’s what Damian has been doing for so long.

Damian grunts his displeasure as Tim prods his back then snaps when he tries to lift his shirt. “Get...Grayson,” he growls. 

Drake nearly trips over his own feet dashing to obey. If Damian knew this was what it would take to get Drake to obey him without question...he would still never willingly bear this pain.

Drake returns with Grayson barely two minutes later.

“Dami? Tim said your back was acting up, what’s wrong?”

And finally, finally the tears that have been threatening since that twist on the mat begin to fall.

Drake is alarmed, and hides behind Grayson. “Do you think he can do that on command?” He whispers loudly. 

“Shut up, Tim, he’s clearly in pain,” Grayson snaps back, and the idea of Grayson defending him to Drake would make him feel warm and fuzzy if he weren’t so cold and pained.

Drake draws back. “Right,” he mutters. 

Grayson ignores him and examines Damian’s posture. “Can I carry you? It might be painful, but I think it will be the fastest way to get you out of here.”

Damian holds back a sob at the thought of even more pain. “Yes,” he whimpers. 

“Alright, brace yourself.”

It’s painful when Grayson lifts him, but it’s less painful than standing on his own. The relief makes more tears fall.

“Shh, I’m sorry Dami. I’m not trying to hurt you.”

“You’re...not,” Damian sniffles.

“You’re crying, though,” Dick points out with a wet laugh.

“It is...a relief.”

“Oh, D, why didn’t you say anything?”

Damian tries not to shift. “I was weak.”

“It isn’t weak to admit that you’re hurting. In fact, I would go so far as to call it a strength, one that even Bruce hasn’t fully mastered.”

That doesn’t sound right, but Grayson doesn’t lie to him... “Really?”

“Really. Getting help means that you can continue fighting another day. Pushing on alone sometimes means that you don’t get that chance.” Grayson’s voice is sad, like he’s thinking of a particular instance.

“Then...will you help me?” Damian asks. He knows the request sounds childish and regrets it immediately.

Grayson, however, melts. “Of course, Li’l D. I’ve got you.”

The heat packs and massage feel wonderful, but it feels better to have his brother by his side.


End file.
